1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a universal shelf module configured to accept a variety of support units to establish a stationary or slide-out shelf configuration in a refrigerator compartment.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Refrigerators are available in a variety of different models which range from basic to high-end units. The models vary in numerous aspects including size, components utilized, available features and, accordingly, price. In order to reduce manufacturing costs, it is often desirable to produce certain parts that are common to all, or at least a few, of the various refrigerator models. For example, it is known in the art to utilize a single refrigerator liner in various models and attach different types of shelves and/or bins therein to distinguish between the various models. It is also known to construct door bins that can be incorporated into different units. However, in order to enable similar parts to be employed in more than one model, there must be some basic structure that is common to all or at least a few of the various models.
Increasing the number of common components can result in substantial cost savings that is realized across different product lines. However, attempting to design certain components to be universal can also require major changes to accessories used in combination therewith such that no actual cost savings may be realized. In addition, designing universal components can raise engineering problems, particularly when those components serve different functions and have varying forces exerted upon them.
Therefore, based on the above, there exists a need for universal components that can be incorporated into a variety of refrigerator models. More specifically, there exists a need for a universal shelf module that can be configured in one of a stationary and a sliding configuration, with the shelf module being designed to be incorporated into a variety of refrigerator models.